Post Guatemala Reflection: By Amy Simmons

Amy: I went into this trip with my social work hat on; regularly reminding myself that while I'll see the despair and desperation of extreme poverty it's the strengths I'm looking for, the resiliencies, the connections and the overall sense well-being. It is a culture and community that I knew little to nothing about. Initially I only had a basic understanding of the history, the impact of the civil war and accompanying genocide. The team helped me become more culturally competent by having meetings that focused on the country, its history, and its people. I read multiple articles and a couple books to familiarize myself with where I was headed. I felt pretty prepared overall when the time to go finally arrived.

I have worked with families in the US who are living in poverty, families and individuals who are homeless; I have worked with children and families who have experienced multiple types of abuse; I have done community development, family focused services, and individual direct care. While I had never worked internationally, I felt pretty secure in my skills and their ability to be transferable.

After nearly twenty years in the field I was not prepared for what we encountered. We entered a community of joy, love, family and connection. They're poor, poor by standards few in the US have ever experienced; those living in extreme poverty have a lack of basic resources most can't fathom. Yet, they have something I struggle to define, something I can't quantify - a wholeness of spirit. It was a soul touching, life altering experience to be with the people in Sibinal.

 When we first arrived we visited families Project HELLO had worked within the past. Initially I struggled with feelings of invasion and objectification. I have always hated the resource and development part of non-profit work - the touring donors, the savior mentality, and the messages of us and them. But as we met with families and talked with them about how their lives are, and what their current needs are, I began to see themes. They appreciated being remembered. They were grateful for the work that had been done, but more than that, they were proud of what they had accomplished since the last time the Project HELLO team had visited. They shone with hope - some radiating with it.

It wasn't just the floor or roof; stove or wash station; walls or latrine that they appreciated. It was the sense that they mattered. They mattered enough to a group of strangers that we'd leave our own country and give of ourselves to make their lives better. They mattered to people in our country who had never met them; people they'd never meet cared enough to give to them. That sense of value combined with the hope lit people from within.

I was not prepared for this level of joy and hope. I had prepared myself to "stay focused on strengths," "look for the resiliency," but when there was no need to search because the positives outweighed the negatives, I felt off balance. Don't get me wrong, the people are in need, in need at levels incomprehensible to US consumerism standards. The people, however have that "thing," you know, the one they say money can't buy, they've found it and they have it in abundance. Having lived in the US my entire life, lived and breathed consumerism, I didn't know what to do with this "thing." As a clinically licensed graduate trained social worker, I didn't know what to do with this "thing."

I still don't know what to do with it other than to honor and respect it - do what I can to protect it. The people of Sibinal have been made promises and repeatedly they have been on the short end when they've been broken. As a result they are a people resistant to trust, but willing to hope. They are the hardest working people I have ever seen; and the most giving. They taught me so much in such a short time about the capacity of the human spirit.

I will be forever grateful for my time there and ever planning my next trip back. The work we do there is more than just putting money into the community - it's about culture and a way of life. It's to ensure the health and physical well-being of the people is sustained in a way that furthers their natural self sufficiency. It's to enhance community provision and integration while deepening existing bonds.

The people have a willingness to tell their story - often painful, about loss, infidelity, abandonment, abuse, and the brutality of the environment (earthquakes and torrential rain) and we have a responsibility to them and their stories. A responsibility to honor them, their community and their culture. A calling to hear the needs of another and respond in kind, for me, that is the foundation of humanity.